Incident # 18-00859 – A 70 year old Colleton County man
and a small dog perished in a morning fire at his residence located at 20438
Augusta Hwy. Friday morning 02-February. At 05:14, a motorist traveling on
Augusta Hwy noticed the flames and notified 9-1-1. The home sat off of the
roadway. The caller advised the home was fully involved. Engine 36 arrived 7
minutes later reporting a fully involved single story brick veneer
residential dwelling and that the roof had already collapsed. Engine 36 used
the deckgun to knock down the flames, while Firefighter-Paramedics deployed
multiple handlines to combat the fire. Firefighters quickly found the man
near the front door. A Tender shuttle was established for water supply.
Crews worked for 25 minutes to bring the fire under control and for several
hours to finish overhaul. The Coroner’s Office was notified and responded to
the scene. SLED and personnel from the State Fie Marshal’s Office also
responded. Traffic on busy Augusta Hwy was down to one lane for several
hours. Firefighters, Deputy Sheriffs and SC Highway Patrol detoured traffic
for several hours. The cause of the fire is under investigation.